Ramadan is an especially sacred time of the year on the Muslim calendar. This is a month for honing spiritual discipline through fasting and prayer, focusing on charity, and contemplating one’s relationship with God. It is common for many Muslims to declutter, clean and tidy their homes before Ramadan in a bid to purify their homes leading up to this holy month, to eliminate physical distractions and chores during a time of deep contemplation, and to lessen the need for day-to-day cleaning and tidying while fasting. But we live in our homes, and with Eid-ul-Fitr (or the Festival of Breaking the Fast) celebrations just around the corner, we’ve prepared some handy tips for cleaning and preparing an organized and tidy home ahead of the festivities.
Tip 1: One thing at a time
Ramadan is a time for rest and reflection. Hastily cleaning your house all day is not consistent with this slower pace of life, so if you are considering decluttering and deep cleaning during this time, create a plan to tackle just one item per day. This could be something like cleaning out your handbag, tackling the dreaded junk drawer, or spending time clearing out a room in your house. The point is, keep your efforts bite-sized, attainable, and easy to repeat on a routine basis. Use a plan or checklist to keep your efforts on track.
Click here to download our handy Chore Chart.
Tip 2: Declutter mindfully
As you slowly declutter your home, aim to do so with a calm approach and with consideration for where your discarded items may end up. As you filter through these items, give thought to your neighbours and your wider community, and consider if and how they might get good use out of the things you no longer need. Alternatively, you can look up charitable organizations online that may accept clothing or other household items to help the needy. Finally, remember the environment: If you cannot find a home for your goods, consider recycling, mending, or upcycling your goods so that the last resort is the landfill.
Tip 3: Put systems in place for better flow
It can be frustrating to clean and declutter an area in your home only to find it looking as messy as before just a few days later. As you declutter and organize the spaces in your home, consider what items and actions happen in this space and how a simple storage or organizing solution could streamline that process and keep it tidy for good. A great example of this is mail that often ends up in the back of the junk drawer or on top of the microwave collecting dust. Placing a paper tray or decorative stationery box near to your front door or in your kitchen is a great solution for directing the flow of post so it’s easy to find and doesn’t create clutter.
Pro tip: Be sure to brief the whole family about any new systems you put in place, so that everyone is clear about the where, the what, and the how.
Tip 4: Keep your fridge clean
The irony of the fridge is that it really needs to be one of the cleanest places in the home, but with loads of traffic, and a messy kid here or there, the fridge can turn nasty without much effort. Remove everything from your fridge, making sure to check expiry dates, discarding expired items, and wiping down the remaining goods (not fresh goods) using a cloth and a simple dish soap and water solution. As you’re doing this, you can put a bowl of baking soda with a slice or two of lemon inside the fridge, which will help to eliminate any odours before you begin to restock your fridge. Don’t forget to clean underneath and behind the fridge, taking care not to bump or damage the appliance.
Tip 5: Prepare food in advance
Eid-ul-Fitr is right around the corner and doing simple preparations before hand can really help take the pressure off the festivities. Review what you plan to bake and cook for the celebrations and work out what you can cook, bake, freeze or store in advance. You’ll not only be saving yourself time and energy, but clean-up on the day will be much reduced, thanks to your foresight and planning.
Tip 6: Don’t be afraid to ask for help
As you make preparations for Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations, find ways to rope your family in to help, so that not all the tasks and duties fall to you alone. This can be a wonderful way to connect with your family and create memories to last a lifetime. Be sure to leave the especially heavy tasks like industrial carpet cleaning or even window blind cleaning to the experts, so that you can get on with your preparations and enjoy the festivities.
Our tips for cleaning are designed to help you take baby steps towards a clean, tidy, and organized home, while keeping your spiritual practice front and centre during Ramadan, so that you are prepared, calm and rested for the festivities of Eid-ul-Fitr. From our family to yours, we hope you have had a sacred and restorative Ramadan and wish you a wonderful and blessed Eid.
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